Understanding Pigmentation and Hyperpigmentation
Understanding Hyperpigmentation
Confidence is partly defined by how we see ourselves and the health of one’s skin is a huge part of feeling confident. Visible dark spots that appear on the face, hands, and other parts of the body that have been exposed to the sun can cause one to feel self conscious.
These visible markings, referred to as pigmentation, in the different areas on the body, can have various affects due to reason such as hormonal imbalance, sun exposure, damaged skin or hereditary reasons. It can cause the skin to look uneven and sun damaged, giving it a dull and worn-out appearance. Pigmentation is known to be caused by excessive production of pigment which presents itself in the form of a brown pigment known as melanin.
Types of Pigmentation
Freckles
Freckles are flat, brown circular spots that typically are the size of the head of a common nail. The spots are multiple and may develop on sun-exposed skin after repeated exposure to sunlight. These are particularly common in people with red hair and a fair complexion and may appear on people as young as 1 or 2 years of age.Most freckles are uniform in colour, however freckles may vary somewhat in colour. They may be reddish, yellow, tan, light brown, brown, or black and are slightly darker than the surrounding skin. They may become darker and more apparent after sun exposure and lighten in the winter months.
Age Spots
Age spots, also known as liver spots and solar lentigines, are small dark areas on your skin that vary in size and usually appear on areas most exposed to the sun, such as face, hands, shoulders and arms. Age spots are very common in adults, however younger people can get them too, especially if they spend a lot of time in the sun.Melasma
Melasma (pregnancy mask) seems to be the most common concern amongst women. This commonly appears in the format of pigmentation patches on the forehead, cheekbone and upper lip area and sometimes the jawline too. This is mostly caused by the variations to the skin which are caused by hormones that are in flux and sun damage! Estrogen, progesterone and the production of melanin are increased during a woman’s pregnancy cycle. With the correct skincare regime and diet one control, heal and maintain pigmentation by following a diet that contains foods that are rich in folic acid in combination with prenatal vitamins and a skincare regimen that will gradually address pigmentation while brightening and clearing the skin of dark patches.
pHformula Solutions for Hyperpigmentation
M.E.L.A. recovery
The M.E.L.A. recovery is specifically formulated to work in synergism with the pHformula skin resurfacing treatments. A unique combination of active ingredients working synergistically to assist in speeding-up skin recovery, maintaining the overall health of the skin, and helping to prevent future skin damage.
Normalizing hyperpigmented skin
A.C.T.I.V.E. formula
The A.C.T.I.V.E. formula is specially formulated to assist in normalizing hyperpigmented skin and maintaining overall results.
Prevent and reverse visible signs of pigment changes
VITA C cream
Vitamin C is essential to prevent and reverse visible signs of skin ageing and pigment changes. pHformula has developed a highly concentrated vitamin C cream with 24 hour moisturizing properties to offer immediate and intense hydration.
M.E.L.A. RESURFACING TREATMENT
The unique pHformula powerclay™ formula used in the M.E.L.A. resurfacing treatments is a powerful hyperpigmentation treatment designed to reduce the accumulation of epidermal melanin. It effectively inhibits the enzymatic activity of tyrosinase, whilst stimulating epidermal differentiation and therefore accelerates epidermal cellular turnover causing the removal of already formed melanin pigment. Due to the innovative and highly effective mode of action, significant visible results are obtained with minimal risk. A powerful blend of active ingredients uniquely formulated in a clay base which assists in the even and rapid penetration of the actives. Most appropriate to help achieve superior improvement of hyperpigmentation spots in all skin types
Customise your treatment
The correct approach to remove or fade pigmentation is to know which treatment suits the type of pigmentation you have. Generally, pigmentation caused by hormones or during pregnancy sits deeper in the skin and we have to customise the treatment accordingly.
In some cases pigmentation is caused by damage to the skin and you may need to use products with active ingredients at home to fade the pigmentation over time. To remove pigment you will need to have a combination of treatments to determine which one works best for your skin type.
Be kind and patient with your skin and always remember to apply sun protection in order to add additional protection to your homecare and in-cabin treatments, in order to obtain optimum results.
For more information on treating hyperpigmentation contact me for your custom skin script at helloskintologist@gmail.com
